Montclair’s Mikie Sherrill elected to U.S. Congress

Montclair’s Mikie Sherrill has won the seat for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. Sherrill, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and a former federal prosecutor and ran against Jay Webber.

With 83 percent of precincts reporting as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Sherrill led with 55 percent of the 227,000 votes in the 11th district, according to the New York Times. In Montclair, she received 88 percent of the vote, while Republican Webber received 12 percent of the vote. Sherrill herself cast her own vote at Montclair’s Northeast Elementary School Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.

Montclair voters cast their votes down the Democratic line, with 85 percent voting for incumbent Senator Robert Mendendez, and 89 percent of Montclair voters in the 10th U.S. House district 10th district voting for Donald Payne against Republican Agha Khan; both Democrats won the general election by wide margins.

The constant rain on election day did not keep Montclairites from heading to the polls, and some waiting in lines, to cast their votes in the 2018 midterm elections.

Elaine Johnson Fiveland voted at Watchung School and was the 308th voter at about 10:30 a.m.

“The man at the booth said it was the busiest he’s seen it since the 2012 election,” she said.

Some voters used a computer touch screen voting system new to some precincts in Montclair. Alan Bloom and Jean Savage waited about five minutes to cast their vote at the Montclair Fire Department Headquarters off of Bloomfield Avenue where the touch screen debuted. Savage said the computer system worked well.

“It allows you to easily cast votes, and then it prints a review and you can submit or start over. It’s awesome,” she said.

But Peter Yacobellis also voting at the fire station said there were no names behind the “Y” tab. “I voted a year ago in the same place and signed the book. This year no page and no explanation so we did a provisional,” he said.

There had been a delay of about an hour at Bradford School during the morning. Katya Wowk, the township communications officer, said the municipal clerk’s office was looking into what had caused the delay. At the Walnut Street Firehouse, voter Desiree Rubolotta said that a voter in line ahead of her went to sign in, and found that someone else had signed next to his name in the voter register.

Pride was apparent in this election as voters expressed disappointment in not getting an “I voted!” sticker. The poll worker where Savage voted suggested that voters call the office of elections and request the stickers.

Noah Gale, who voted for the first time, said he has been waiting since he was 8 to vote. “I was so ecstatic to vote! It was a fantastic and outstanding experience,” he said.

Whitney Tchoula and Plick Junel said poll workers assisting at Hillside Elementary and Glen Field were “upbeat and chatty as voting as it should be,”.

Clean Water Action canvasser Kerry Doyle, who has been knocking on Montclair doors since

The Montclair Bread Company offered free coffee and doughnut holes to anyone who came in with an “I Voted” sticker, or else stated that they voted. Since a lot of voters reported that their polling places weren’t giving out stickers, the bakery had to operate on the honor system, said Jessica Woodward, the director of operations. Customer traffic had been brisk, with about 200 customers having come in by 3:35 p.m.

All of the Montclair Bread Company’s sprinkle doughnuts were covered in blue sprinkles for the day, and the bakery brought back its Pink Kitty doughnut: a variety originally introduced at the last presidential inauguration.She predicted a sell-out by the end of the day.